Saturday, February 21, 2015

Social Entrepreneurship: 7 Ways to Empower Student Changemakers

Social Entrepreneurship: 7 Ways to Empower Student Changemakers

Vickie Davis @coolcatteacher writes for Edutopia Magazine and recently wrote about how students and schools can partner to help empower them to change their local communities through Project Service Learning. (PSL) This is a great idea to have students make a difference and bridge the gap to helping understand global problems or participate in working just around the corner. Recently, I participated in a district chat with Coweta County Schools #cowetaedchat (Sunday's at 8pm EST)where students led the very discussion mentored by administrators in the district. Its a win-win for everyone when students can carry the knowledge of a local project and use it to inform their own learning and asking questions they and their teachers would never have thought of before. When students help senior citizens, clean up flower beds or volunteer for a variety of topics, their vested interest changes lives and the perspectives of everyone in the community. Vickie writes:

Tired of disheartened girls thinking they didn't match up to the divas on teen beauty magazines, Grace Miner started Real Girls Matter. The group has a state-wide conference in Rhode Island next year.
When six-year-old Joshua Williams wanted to give ten dollars to a homeless man, his young eyes opened to the plight of the hungry. Joshua, now 13, runs Joshua's Heart to feed the hungry in Miami. On his website, Joshua says: "Whenever I work, I will give some of my money to help."

1. Encourage Each Student to Map Their Heartbreak

Each child has a strength and talent -- a "genius," if you will -- that he or she can add to make the world a better place. Empower social entrepreneurs by sharing stories of students taking action, and then encourage students to find their own passion. Angela Maiers, educator and founder of the burgeoning Choose2Matter movement says:

Ask students to share what upsets them and makes them angry. Draw it. Write it. Speak it. But by all means share it! Aaron Maurer‘s students created heartbreak maps.Social Entrepreneurship Tip: Ask students to create a heartbreak map.